Plans To Give Scottish Labour More Powers Approved

Plans to give Scottish Labour more powers over policy decisions and candidate selection have been approved by its national executive committee (NEC).

Kezia Dugdale had called for changes to be made to give the Scottish party full control over policy making, including reserved areas, the management of constituency parties and the selection of Westminster election candidates.

UK party leader Jeremy Corbyn supported the plans and the NEC approved the move at a meeting in London on Tuesday.

It would also see a frontbench Labour MSP represent the party on the NEC.

Ms Dugdale said the changes would put Scottish Labour "on track to become fully autonomous within the UK Labour Party''.

The proposals will now be put to delegates at the Labour conference in Liverpool this weekend.

Ms Dugdale said: "I'm pleased to say that we have the agreement of Labour's NEC for our autonomy proposals.

"These will be the biggest changes we've seen to how the Scottish Labour Party is run in a generation. It means Scottish Labour is now on track to become fully autonomous within the UK Labour Party.

"I'm looking forward to making these arguments at the UK conference next week, and hopefully seeing the proposals passed by delegates.

"It is right that as devolution strengthens across the UK, Scottish Labour changes to reflect that.

The latest statistics from admissions body Ucas, published as pupils south of the border received exam results on Thursday, outline that 16.5% of 18-year-old applicants from England accepted to university were from the poorest areas.